AI Index: MDE 18/009/2004 (Public)
News Service No: 190
28 July 2004 Lebanon: New Action to Ratify the Rome Statute of the International
Criminal CourtAmnesty International (AI) and the Coalition for the International
Criminal Court (CICC) have today launched an action calling on the government of Lebanon
to accede to the Rome Statute for the International Criminal Court, as part of their
campaign to lobby for universal ratification of the Statute.

Lebanon played an important role in drafting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and
the Rome Statute. It should now demonstrate its commitment to international justice and
encourage other Middle Eastern states to do the same by acceding to the Rome Statute as
soon as possible, Amnesty International said today. So far, only one other Middle Eastern
state, Jordan, has ratified the Rome Statute, although several foreign have signed it.
Since Lebanon did not sign the Statute before the deadline of 31 January 2000, it needs to
sign and ratify in one step -- a process known as acceding.

"We welcome the steps that Lebanon has taken towards joining the international
justice system, and we now urge the government to move forward with the process of
accession," the organization said.

When ratifying the treaty, the government will need to enact legislation allowing the
Lebanese courts to exercise their primary responsibility to investigate and prosecute
crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes and to provide full cooperation
with the International Criminal Court. Amnesty International and the CICC are urging the
government of Lebanon to begin the process of implementing legislation as soon as
possible.

In the past half century, millions of victims of genocide, crimes against humanity and war
crimes have been denied justice, truth and full reparations. The Rome Statute creates a
new system of international justice to send a clear message to those planning such
horrific crimes that they will no longer enjoy impunity for their actions.

The International Criminal Court requires the support of the whole international
community. Amnesty International welcomes the work of civil society groups in Lebanon, and
a number of Lebanese MPs, in accelerating the movement for support of the ICC in Lebanon.
Amnesty International and the CICC are encouraging the people of Lebanon and all people in
the Middle East to take part in this action calling on Lebanon to accede to the Rome
Statute as soon as possible. In doing so, they will be joining the struggle to end
impunity for these horrific crimes forever.

Background

The Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, adopted on 17 July 1998, provides
that the Court will have initial jurisdiction over genocide, crimes against humanity and
war crimes.

The International Criminal Court relies on states that have ratified the Rome Statute to
investigate and prosecute people accused of genocide, crimes against humanity and war
crimes in their national courts. The Court will only step in when national courts are
unable or unwilling to do so.

The International Criminal Court, located in The Hague in The Netherlands, is now fully
operational. Last week, on 29 July the Prosecutor, Luis Moreno Ocampo, announced the
opening of his second formal investigation, into crimes committed in Uganda since 1 July
2002. For 18 years, the conflict in northern Uganda between the Lord's Resistance Army
armed group and government forces has claimed the lives of thousands of civilians,
resulting in mass displacement, abductions and forced recruitment of child soldiers.
Earlier this year on 23 June, the Prosecutor announced his first investigation, into grave
crimes committed in the Democratic Republic of Congo since 1 July 2002. It is reported
that over three million people have died during the conflict in the Democratic Republic of
Congo, many of them victims of crimes within the International Criminal Court's
jurisdiction, including rape, torture, forced displacement and the illegal use of child
soldiers.